Eyes are the mirror of the soul
by TheAlternateWriter
Summary: Sarada and Boruto grown up together. It is only a matter of time until something more than a mere "friendship" begins to develop. Will their love blossom or will it be crushed by the jealousy of her protective father?
1. Chapter 1

**Eyes are the mirror of the soul**

 **A story by The Alternate Writer**

 **Chapter 1: Afternoon tea**

* * *

 **A/N:** My dear readers, welcome to my next installment. For those who are reading my other story, "Moonlight breeze", please note that I will update that slowly, maybe one chapter per month, as I want to invest in quality rather than quantity. Also give a shot to its prequel "Under this blue sky".

Anyway, this story is centered around Boruto and Sarada.

Last but not least, this story is dedicated to **_YOU_** , my dear readers, that trusted me enough to read it. Thank you.

* * *

"I did it, dattebasa!" a blonde haired whiskered boy yelled "I'm a shinobi now, believe it!"

"Meh, it's not _that_ big deal..." a raven haired girl with a pair of glasses muttered. "Clothes do not make a priest and, certainly, a rank doesn't make you a worthy ninja either, Boruto. It's just a mere word."

The aforementioned boy glared at her, with his blue orbs, then pointed an accusatory finger to the girl. "Pfft, you're fast to speak, Sarada-chan. I bet the exam was rather easy for you, given your bloodline..." then He pointed his new Konoha _hitai-ate. "_ This forehead protector means that I am now a shinobi, and believe it when I say that I will be the best! I will be Chuunin, then Jounin in no time, then I will surpass my _baka otou-san_ the Hokage, dattebasa!" He flashed his trademark smirk and stroke a "cool-guy" pose, with his thumbs up.

The Uchiha girl sighed at his happy-go-lucky attitude and stopped. They arrived at her home, in the newly rebuilded Uchiha compound.

"Let's have tea, shall we?" she invited him inside. That was not strange to them. In fact, they've grown up together, born in the same year. They were accustomed to each other and their families didn't have any problem if one of the children showed up casually at the other's home… well, except for one _particular_ Uchiha.

"Good afternoon, Sarada-chan, Boruto-kun." Sakura hailed them with a big smile and noticed their forehead protector. "Soo, you managed to pass the genin exam, I see!"

Boruto grinned as usual " _Hai, Sakura oba-san!_ It was a cakewalk!"

Meanwhile, while his friend and her mother chatted, Sarada greeted his father who sat in a couch, reading a newspaper. "Otou-san."

Sasuke lifted his eyes and saw his daughter standing there. He folded the piece of paper and got up.

"Sarada-chan, congratulation on making it as genin. I was sure you wouldn't let me down. _I'm proud of you_ " He showed a light smile and patted her head

"Arigatou, otou-san." She nearly squirmed from the contact.

The blonde friend made his way to the two Uchiha standing in the living room, while Sakura went to the kitchen, in order to prepare some tea for the pair of friends.

"Sasuke-san!" He bowed to his father best friend, while the latter had a neutral expression on his face.

"Boruto. Good to see that you became a genin on your first run. At least you didn't fail three times, like someone I know..." Sasuke casually jabbed at the blonde Uzumaki, who knew that he was talking about his father.

' _Jeez, he's really mister friendliness…_ ' he groaned mentally, as he also knew that Sasuke never liked him for starters.

" _Arigatou gozaimasu, Uchiha-san._ " Boruto decided to play it calm and cool, not responding to the veiled provocation his friend's father thrown at him.

Sarada, meanwhile, sweatdropped at the conversation she was witnessing. ' _Not again…_ '

"Boruto, let's go in the backyard." Sarada called him and then the pair disappeared from the living room. Sasuke went to the window to look at them… or rather to ensure the blonde spawn didn't try nothing _funny_ with her ' _hime_ '.

* * *

In the garden, Boruto and Sarada were sitting under the shade of a tree. Sakura went to them and placed the tray with the tea kettle and cups between them, then went back inside.

She passed past his husband and noticed him scowling while looking at the younglings. She devilly smirked then murmured by herself but, still, her voice high enough to be heard by Sasuke: "*Sigh*, they _grow up_ so fast..."

His facial features hardened and looked away from the windows, fuming at the idea of Sarada maturing. She was still her _princess_ , after all!

"Ne, Sarada-chan! I think that we can easily pass the Chuunin exam, then straight to Jounin, what do you think?" He smiled and sipped from his cup.

Sarada held hers "Mhph. As an Uchiha, it shall be easy as drinking water." she pridefully said. "With my Sharingan and my clan ninjutsu, there's no way I'm gonna fail" Sarada always wanted to be the very best, in order to impress her father, which happened to be listening, unbeknownst to them.

Boruto lowered his gaze and placed the tea cup on the trail. Then a soft smile appeared on his whiskered face.

"I think that Clan Ninjutsus don't really matter that much in the exams." he stated. The girl raised an inquisitive eyebrow to him. Sasuke, from the windows, was listening with interest at the discussion.

"Well, it looks like you don't know much of my family techniques. The Sharingan, for example, is considered as the ' _Ultimate Dojutsu_ ', after the Byakugan and before the Rinnengan." she spoke up. Boruto glanced at her.

"It's not that I don't know, I really don't want to know, because _I don't care about evaluating_ which ninjutsu, dojutsu or taijutsu is the best." he then grabbed his tea cup and stared at it. "Let's take tea as an example. Tea is tea. But each tea has its own character and properties. What is the purpose of grading ? These many teas are grown in nature, all of them. Is there a discernable difference?" he softly spoke.

She pondered for a moment on the question, then answered: "Yes, once you learn this, you can tell the difference between the teas."

Boruto gazed away from the cup to look in her eyes: "What you say may be right, but the way I see it, the tea _does not judge itself_." he placed his cup on the tray, then looked up at the trees branch which gave them shade. Small rays of sunlight filtered through the leaves. "It's people that judge its grading. Different people chose different things. As for me, as far as I'm concerned, I just don't want to make any choice or judgement".

Sarada (and, from afar, Sasuke) where now puzzled by his words.

"Is that so?" she inquired.

"Drinking tea is a mood, really. If you are in a good mood, the grade of tea _doesn't matter._ " his words made the girl craving for further explainations.

"I've never looked at it like that. There are many ninjutsu and fighting styles. Are you saying no style or technique is greater than another?"

"That's what I'm saying."

"If that's true, I want to ask you, if Ninjutsu and styles do not differ in any way, why then do those with particular techniques are considered to be the best? Why do we even fight in competition like the Chuunin exams?" her question pressed him for an answer.

"I believe for all ninjutsu, taijutsu and dojutsu, there is no single one that is superior. All of those who practice different styles, they would naturally have a different level of skill. _Through competition, we can discover ourselves._ " he finished his sentence with a smile.

Sarada was left speechless. In no way she ever looked at the topic with another light. And, furthermore, she was a little bit surprised that such wise words came from that blonde _baka_ in front of her.

"I-i see..." she quietly murmured while lowering her eyes. Then took the tea kettle and smiled at him. "Please, Boruto, have some more."

He grinned: "You first..."

The pair enjoyed their mid-afternoon snack while Sasuke reflected on what Boruto said.

"My, my, Sarada, finally _found someone_ who can keep up with her ne?" Sakura, who also listenend to the conversation, spoke from behind him, startling Sasuke.

"Mh. I bet he inherited this small bit of intelligence from the Hyuuga side" He scoffed and went to the kitchen.

Sakura grinned and, then, fondly looked at her daughter and his friend.

"Just wait, Sasuke-kun. One day _you'll understand..._ "

 _ **To be continued.**_

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading this small chappy, stay tuned!

 _ **The Alternate Writer**_

* * *

 **TRIVIA** : The tea conversation is based on the "Tea Scene" from the movie "Fearless" starring Jet Li in the role of Huo Yian Jia, a real martial artist who lived in the past century and is considered a Chinese Symbol, as he fought and win in many high-sponsored match against european and japanese fighters. China was under heavy colonial influence at the time and its citizen were often labelled as " _the sick men of Asia_ " given their " _yellow_ " skin. In the movie, the protagonist had a small debate with the Japanese fighter over which tea (as a metaphor for Wushu Kungfu styles) was better.


	2. Chapter 2

**Eyes are the mirror of the soul**

 **Chapter 2: The beauty of a cherry blossom**

* * *

Boruto was quite a morning person. Since he was a small child, he'd always enjoyed waking up early to see the sunrise.

Golden rays of light, shimmering in the sky through the clouds… Oh, he always longed for this scenario. His blue eyes would met the shining color of a raising sun, his skin would feel the warmth of the giant star penetrating deep into his skin and muscles…

Really, there was no such thing as pleasant as starting the morning like this, even if it meant waking up at 4 A.M. and climb atop his house.

The bright disk in the horizon complemented by the luscious green trees of the forests around Konoha was indeed a mirable spectacle. It was like everything was balanced. The silence of the early morning was complemented by the light chirping of the birds. The warmth of the sun rays, instead, were met by the light breeze blowing at such early hours. His friend, Yamanaka Inojin, would surely paint all of this, if he ever found himself in such situation.

Boruto was sitting on the roof, his legs crossed while his hands were resting on the knees.

Admiring the shifting color of the sky, from night blue to orange fire, he contemplated the beauty of what his eyes were laid on.

A small gush of wind blowed from north-east, caressing his young skin. He savored the cool feeling that attenuated the normal heat radiated from his body.

He turned his gaze towards the Hokage monument, admiring the majesty that the stone faces were emanating.

Small flower petals were flying in the air, carried by the morning breeze. He managed to catch one between his finger.

' _Sakura no hanabira_ '. A cherry blossom petal.

The pink frond rested in the middle of his right hand, as he contemplated its features. It felt like silk but at the same time was weightless. Admirable, indeed.

Boruto placed the petal inside his pocket and got up. Stretching his arm up to the still-blue sky, he glanced again, for a last time to the already full-formed sun in the horizon, then went down, inside the house, for breakfast.

* * *

After consuming his morning meal, Uzumaki Boruto went for his usual morning walk. It was Sunday and no mission was available.

He strolled down the street, his figure shadowed by the roadside tree.

As it was still early morning, it was empty. He had the sun at his back, the heat now embracing him from behind. It reminded him of her mother's hugs. Warm, gentle, caring…

He was lost in his thought that he didn't notice he arrived, unconsciously, at the gates of the Uchiha Residence, in the Eastern district.

His eyes laid on the family crest carved in the columns. The red fan and the white handle were inscripted in the gray stone. A few metres ahead was placed a small Torii gate. The shintoist monument was of a bright red and had, in its front, a small black wooden sign reading the kanji ideogram for " _Uchiha_ ".

He walked through the gate and arrived in the garden, where a small pond and some cherry blossom tree were adorning the place.

Without knowing, his hand reached for the pocket were the petal was stored.

The blonde young man stood in the middle of it, admiring this small piece of paradise. So calm, so… peaceful.

"...Boruto?" a voice called him from aside.

Sarada was standing there, dressed in a simple light red yukata. He found himself gazing at her figure. She was… perfect. Her figure balanced with the surroundings, giving the whole scenario a dreamy atmosphere. She was holding a small chinese fan on her hand, which was held open, inf front of her visage. A very small light blush adorned her cream pearl skin and her eyes were of an intense black that resembled the night itself.

Her posture and her features were so graceful that he felt himself like a ' _peasant_ ' in front of Sarada, wearing his usual black jacket, white shirt and short jeans.

He kept staring at her. Beautiful like no other thing. She was like a…

"... _Yamato Nadeshiko_ " he murmured the words, their meaning was of the perfect japanese woman.

" _Sumimasen?_ " she asked him, as she didn't quite heard his voice.

Boruto blushed, now realizing what he just murmured. For a moment he pondered about lying on what he just said, but he then remembered one Principle of a book he read in the past, "Bushido". It was the moral code of the Samurai hailing from the Land of Iron. He found it one of the most interesting things he ever read and decided to follow its teachings. The principle, or virtue, itself was ' _Makoto_ ' or 'Sincerity'.

She smiled at her.

"Ohayou-gozaimasu, Sarada-chan." He greeted her and placed his hands behind his back, assuming a relaxed position. "I said that you looked like the perfect woman." he grinned at her. The blush on her face intensified and it was only natural for her to hide her crimson face behind the fan she held.

"T-thank you, Boruto _no baka_!" She distorted her gaze from him, her glasses reflecting the light of the day. "Anyway, what are you doing here"

He kicked an invisible rock and placed his hands behind his head, a embarrassed expression on his face.

"Well, I was just taking a walk and I was so lost in my thoughts that I stumbled here, eh!" Again, he grinned.

She just sighed at his… _simplicity._

* * *

From inside the house, Sasuke walked near the window to open it, when he noticed someone standing by her daughter.

' _Boruto? What the hell he's doing here at 7.30 in the morning, for Kami's sake?!_ '

The presence of the boy annoyed him. He noticed Sarada sudden blushing.

' _Uzumaki, you better not be trying something funny or I…_ '

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura called him from behind "What are you looking at?"

She went close to the window herself. "Ah, Boruto-kun and Sarada-chan! How _cute_!" she squealed. And it annoyed very much Sasuke.

* * *

The two young walked by the _Sakura_ tree in the garden, holding a cup of warm, green tea that her mother offered them when she greeted to pair.

Sarada stared at one of the branches, covered in cherry blossoms, and touched one of them.

"The perfect blossom is a rare thing." she caressed one of them. "You could spend your life looking for one and it would not be a wasted life."

She sipped form her cup. " I'm writing a poem about a dream I had." She picked a piece of paper from her yakuta breast " _'The fox's eyes are like my own, but he comes from across a whirlpool sea...'"_

Boruto walked beside her and admired himself the blossoms and she turned his head towards him. "I'm having trouble finishing the poem. Can you suggest a last line?"

He made a simple smile, then drank from his tea. "I'm not a writer."

"Indeed. But you read many books, even if you don't have the appearance of a… diligent student" she lightly teased him. Boruto just lowered his eyes with a smile.

"What else Himawari told you?" He asked Sarada. He knew that her sister was a very close friend of her.

She closed the distance with his dear friend and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"You have nightmares."

Boruto's smile disappeared. " _Every shinobi has nightmares._ " Since they became Genin, the two, along with Konohamaru-sensei and their fellow teammate Mitsuki, already went on various missions, even bloody ones, were they had to kill bandits in order to defend themselves or save someone.

"Only one who is ashamed of _what he has done._ " she uttered.

"...who am I to take the life of someone else?" The blonde lifted his eyes and looked at her, while saying the words.

"A Shinobi. Sometimes we had to kill, in order to save another life. Or defend our own." she placed hugged him from the sides. "It the same for me, Boruto-kun. It happens to who have seen what we have seen." she rested her head on his shoulder. "But then I come to this place of my ancestors, and I remember. Like these blossoms, we are all dying. To know life in every breath, every cup of tea, every life we take. The way of the Shinobi… Our _Nindō_ "

They stayed like that for minutes, contemplating the Sakura tree, then realized _what they were doing_. They separated from each other, coughing to cover their embarrassment and blushes.

Boruto and Sarada could have sworn that they felt something like a ' _killer intent_ ' in the air for a second, then they took a stroll in the garden, drinking their tea.

* * *

"Let me go! How dare that filthy Uzumaki taint the skin of my _hime_!" Sasuke hissed and fumed, while Sakura tried to hold him in a hug, sweatdropping in the process.

"I said let me go, you _bitch!_ " he told her, only to regret instantly his words. The last things he saw were Sakura's eye twitching, some veins popping in her forehead and, then, a black-gloved fist colliding with his head, konocking him out for good.

She, then, just sighed at her husband. 'Meh, it is really true that fathers are very jealous of their daughter…'

* * *

"Mom, what happened?" Sarada chirped and entered in the living room with Boruto behind her.

"Sakura obaa-san, yeah, why is uncle Sasuke sleeping on the ground?" The blonde inquired.

Sakura just casually smiled and weaved her hands at them.

"Oh nothing, he's just _very_ tired, don't mind him". She then flashed her thumbs at them. "Say, who wants some _dango?_ "

The two kids yelled with joy and then the three of them went to the kitchen, leaving the Uchiha survivor on the ground, unconscious…

* * *

 **A/N** : And this chapter is done. A few words if I may: You already seen that I tend to make Boruto very quiet and "smart". Well, I never liked the idea of him being _totally_ like the younger Naruto, in fact I like to think that he inherited, at least, a calm demeanor from his Hyuuga lineage, don't you think?

Then, Sarada and Boruto being "close". I mean, they grown up together, didn't they? So, a little bit of intimacy is not awkward to them, right?

I wonder if someone will get the reference I've put in this chapter :)

Until then.

 _ **The Alternate Writer**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Eyes are the mirror of the soul**

 **Chapter 3: At the Hyuuga compound**

* * *

 _'The transition of Yin and Yang will help you find hard and soft'_

Boruto was inside the training hall of the Hyuuga compound. The golden haired boy, wearing a black silk _changshan_ suit, was practicing martial arts, but not the usual " _Jyuuken-po_ ", the Hyuuga " _Gentle Fist_ " style, but another fighting method he learned from some scrolls he found days prior in the main library of the Clan estate. It was a very ancient style, created a thousands of years ago in a far away by some temple monks from a place called "Wudang Mountain". They called it "Taijiquan" or "Art of the supreme ultimate fist". By what he read in these scrolls, this style has a different approach to fight. Where the Jyuuken or any standard Taijutsu resorted on the practitioner own physical power and strength in order to strike, Taijiquan philosophy was based on "using the opponent's power to subjugate him" and the internal power, or " _Qi_ ", which could be interpreted as "Chakra". Stances were relaxed, forms were open and ample, every movement was done slowly. It wasn't just a fighting style. It was also a meditation practice.

The young Uzumaki was performing the " _103 Traditional Long form_ ", consisting on 103 actions, the equivalent of Taijutsu katas.

He could feel the chakra in his lower abdomen stir and starting to flow. If he recalled correctly, he was "sinking Qi energy down in his _tan t'ien_ ".

He executed a move the scroll simply called "Brush the knee". His left hand slowly went from his right shoulder to his left knee in a semi-circular motion, while the right hand pushed forward. Again, he could feel the energy flowing from his _tan t'ien_ to his arms and, finally, to his palms. The result was that his hands were very warm, a sign which meant he was doing everything correctly.

He really enjoyed practicing Taijiquan, as it was soft, relaxing but also very similar to the Jyuuken style.

From one of the sliding door of the dojo, an Elder Hyuuga Hiashi was carefully observing his nephew's practice, curious about the style he was training in. Of course he also has read the scrolls, but never seen it in real practice.

An idea came up with his mind and the old man activated his Byakugan.

What he saw was the youngster chakra flow increasing in speed, emanating a white aura around the pathways inside his body.

"Very… interesting." he murmured by himself.

* * *

Sarada was in the kitchen of her house, happily whistling a tune, while preparing some sandwiches.

She carefully cut the creamy pieces of bread in triangle-shaped ones, then stuffed them with _salad_ (no pun intended), tomatoes and ham or chicken slices alternatively.

She took some bananas and apples and placed them inside the basket.

She was determined to make _him_ eat _healthy_ , at least for today.

The young Uchiha, then, went to squeeze some oranges in order to collect the resulting juices. She filled a wooden bottle with the orange nectar, putting them, afterwards, inside the aforementioned basket.

She went to the fridge and took out a small cake she prepared the past evening. It was a cheesecake, with crunchy crust and creamy cold white spread cheese on top, covered in strawberry jam.

Well, surely she didn't inherit the awful cooking skill of her mother, at least…

Speaking of which, while Sarada was cutting the cake in pieces, Sakura entered the kitchen for a tea and noticed her daughter and her preparatives.

Smiling, she went to her. "My my, Sarada-chan..." she looked inside the basket, eyeing the meals and _feeling a very small pang of jealousy_ at her daughter cooking skills. "Let me guess: you and Boruto-kun are going on a pic-nic." Like it was magic or fate, Sasuke was making his way to the kitchen too when he heard the word "Boruto".

Immediately he showed up in the area and, with the most neutral face and voice tone, he asked Sarada: "Where are you going, _my dear?_ "

Still blushing from her mother question of before, she simply stuttered her answer.

"I-i am having a pic-nic with Boruto this noon, after he finish training."

"Oh, then it's a date. _How cute!_ " The pink-haired mother chirped while clapping her hands together.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Sarada squealed "We are just having a friendly meal, that's all" she finally scoffed.

"It better be." Sasuke spoke up with a neutral, yet deadly, voice, while glaring at her Daughter. She could have sworn that she saw his Sharingan activated.

Sakura veins popped in her forehead and silently stomped in his foot, causing his husband to winch in pain. She just shot an apologetic look at Sarada.

"H-heh he, Sarada-chan, have fun!"

The young girl just raised her eyebrow. "Uhm… okay, I guess?" and then went off, with her picnic basket.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was blowing air in his damaged foot.

"...the hell, Sakura, why did you just do that?!" he whined.

"Because you were being a stupid idiot."

"Sarada's too young for this kind of..."

"She's 15 years old, Sasuke-kun." Sakura interrupted him, while deadpanning.

He just scoffed and went for the fridge, noting that there were some spare slices of Sarada's cheesecake inside it. He grabbed one and tasted it.

"Well, at least at 15 years old, she's a better cook than _someone else I know._ " he said with a teasing voice.

Sakura just threw a wooden spatula at him.

* * *

" _Taijipo: Gensoku Yang!_ " (Taiji style: Yang Principle)

Boruto made a clockwise 360° spin with his arms extended then he threw forward his right hand, with its palm open, while he threw back his left closed fist. An white-colored energy bullet sprung from his right palm with a small crack sound, like a whip crackle, and an air ring around it, signaling that his chakra was literally shot at a sound barrier breaking speed. Then he made another spin, this time counter clockwise, and reversed his attack, putting the closed fist forward and the open palm backward.

" _Taijipo: Gensoku Yin!_ " (Taiji style: Yin Principle)

The chakra flowed from his abdomen to his arms, then to his hands.

A blue wave surrounded his left fist. If it collided with something or someone, the latter would be seriously damaged, as it was a chakra-fueled punch.

Last, Boruto made a counter-clockwise 720° low-to-high spin, using his left leg to acquire speed while shifting his barycenter to his spine, twisting his body at high velocity like a maelstrom.

Then he shot forward his upper body, arms and open hands, while rooting his lower body to the ground, transferring both chakra flow and kinetic energy onwards.

" _Taijipo: Taijitou Jiten!_ " (Taiji style: Rotation of Yin and Yang)

A small shotgun-like explosion accompanied the blast of spinning chakra that erupted from his hands. It lasted for five meters, before dissipating.

Boruto panted heavily. The three attacks were part of a technique called "Wudang Cannon" or, in the original _chinese_ language: " _Wudang pao_ ". This particular sequence took a toll on Boruto's energy, as it was harder than the Hyuuga _Jyuuken Supreme Rotation,_ not for the physical energy required itself, but for the amount of chakra needed that has also to be spinned internally, requiring a very good chakra control too.

He was on his knees, breathing and sweating, his arms warm. He could feel his energy flow slowing to a normal pace.

Hyuuga Hiashi approached him from behind, his hands hidden into the long and large sleeves of his kimono.

"That was impressive, Boruto-kun. Although it would be effective on close range, that is indeed a nice feat you already mastered."

Boruto looked up to his grand-father.

" _Arigatou, oji-sama._ " he thanked the elder, who took from his sleeve a small bottle of water and handed it to him.

"Here, drink." Boruto grabbed the treat and slightly bowed his hand to thank him.

Hiashi didn't say nothing more, and left the dojo.

* * *

Sarada was hiding on a tree, carefully analyzing Boruto's training, with her Sharingan activated.

"Impressive..." she murmured.

The improvement of his teammate was indeed something to be admired and she felt a little bit of envy at him.

"Oh, well. You saved me a lot of work, Boruto- _kun_ " she smirked, as her Sharingan had already copied and memorized the style his blonde friend was training in. Truth to be told, if she was caught spying and trying to copy the Hyuuga taijutsu, she would be in trouble, as it was technically a clan secret. But Taijiquan was not an original part of Hyuuga Jyuukenpo, so it was not like " _stealing_ " clan secrets.

" _Looking to something interesting?_ " a voice from behind her spoke up and Sarada turned back, only to find a purple-haired woman with indigo eyes.

"Hinata-sama!" she bowed to her blushed, embarrassed at being caught in such situation.

Hyuuga Hinata just smiled and sat on the tree branch, while looking at her own son in the distance.

"No need to be so formal, Sarada-chan. I guess you are here for Boruto, right?" she pointed to the picnic bag beside the Uchiha girl. "What were you planning today?"

Sarada sat down on the branch too "I was hoping to have lunch with him..." she took out an apple "...at least something more healthy than his ramen addiction…"

Both girls sweatdropped. Boruto indeed inherited Naruto's passion for the tasty nipponic noodles.

"Good luck on that, then..."

"Thanks."

Silence fell on the tree, as they watched Boruto practicing the "Wudang cannon" again.

"I wonder where he takes all the energy to keep going..." Sarada inquired, observing the blonde while he went down on the sequences once more.

"He's an Uzumaki. All of them are naturally gifted with huge reserve of chakra and life energy." Hinata mused. As a matter of fact, Naruto too was capable of _lasting long_ in battles and training (and in _an other field_ , she thought while blushing madly). The merit was also of the Kyuubi chakra. What was again the name of the Nine-Tailed fox? " _Kurama_ "?

Oh yes. Now that they were… friends, the fox was allowed to exit his husband's body, leaving a small part of him inside, as the total removal of the tailed beast would kill its host.

The Kyuubi no Kitsune always took the shape of a fox and wandered in the forest around Konoha, hunting preys, mating with vixens, or simply enjoying freedom.

Even the village itself has slowly adjusted to its presence and no longer considered it a menace. In fact, many children would pet the small animal, should they encounter him somewhere, and the adults would throw it pieces of meat.

In exchange, Kurama protected the village and its inhabitants. For example, the fox saved a kid from falling down a roof, defended an old woman from bandits in the woods around and so on…

Part of its chakra was passed down on Naruto's and Hinata's children, and it was clearly visible by the whiskers marks on their cheeks.

This allowed them to increase their energy ten-folds, enduring more fatigue than any others and healing much faster than anyone else.

Boruto right now was an example of these features. Normally, the Taijiquan Wudang Cannon would exhaust anyone else after two times of performing it, but the Uzumaki was going for the sixth time of practicing it.

Sarada watched his friend and recalled his past words...

 _ **(Flashback)**_

" _I believe for all ninjutsu, taijutsu and dojutsu, there is no single one that is superior. All of those who practice different styles, they would naturally have a different level of skill."_

 _ **(Flashback ends)**_

That sentence was still lingering in her mind. It was a reminder that no style is superior, and only the skill of the practitioner defined whether he was or was not skilled. Through practice, anyone can improve, regardless of the style.

A smile softly made his way on her white visage. Boruto kept training and training day by day. He was becoming her inspiration. Her resolve to improve herself.

"He's cute, right?" Hinata spoke to her. Sarada just blushed.

"H-he's just a _baka, shannaro_!" she stammered out.

Hinata let out a soft chuckle, then got up from the branch.

"Well, you better go to him, or he'll never stop his training."

And with that she jumped down.

* * *

Boruto was going to repeat the steps when a fist collided with his head. Stumbling down, he turned to look at the offender, finding Sarada standing there, glaring at him, with an evil aura.

"Boruto, you _baka_! If you keep straining yourself with all this training, it's just a matter of time before you collapse." She placed her hands on her hips. "I don't want to find myself doing CPR on you one day." she grunted.

The Uzumaki just smirked. "Well, I would not mind receiving a… _mouth-to-mouth breathing_ , you know!" he teased her

Sarada forehead veins popped: "HENTAI! SHANNAROOO!" and she blasted her fist on his head again, punching him down and creating a hole in the ground.

* * *

Naruto, who was entering the Hyuuga compound, assisted at the scene and tried his best not to laugh at the scene that was unfolding in front of his eyes: his son down on the grass, holding his head with tears coming down his eyes and Sarada shaking her fist to him, in a menacing way.

"Well… it certainly brings me memories..." Naruto thought as he recalled the old days, when Sakura punched him everytime he commited some bullshit.

Shaking his head, he went inside the manor, a soft smile on his head.

He went to his office, and found Sasuke already sitting there. They nodded at each other.

"Good, you are already here. Let's discuss about the Kumogakure..."

And they discussed of various things.

* * *

"Mph."

The two of them were now standing below a tree in the Hyuuga compound garden.

A red-and-white sheet was layed down, and food was already placed on it.

"Sarada-chan..." he tried to talk to her friend with an apologetic tone, to no avail.

"Shush. Mph" she silenced him, while looking away. They stayed like this form some minutes and Boruto was starting to get depressed when a plate with a sandwich was placed in front of his face, her arms extended, still not looking at him. He happily grabbed the food and tasted it.

"Mmmh… Sarada-chan, you're the best!" he yelled.

She just scoffed and started to eat.

Suddendly a wasp flew near them and the girl started to panic.

"YIKES! Get away from me!" she cried in a non-kunoichi manner.

"Hold still, i'm gonna get it!" Boruto jumped in an effort to catch the insect, in a clumsy way…

The result was Boruto standing on top of Sarada, who lost her glasses during the stumble, looking at each other in the eyes, their faces mere inches apart.

They blushed, but didn't move for quite some moments.

That same moment, Naruto, her daughter Himawari and Sasuke were taking a walk down the garden, when the trio saw the two chuunin in _a very compromising position._

"Oh look! Boruto nii-san and Sarada nee-chan _are making a baby!_ " Little Himawari chirped casually and innocently.

Naruto froze in his feet, and felt a very deadly killing intent. He slowly turned his head to Sasuke, who was engulfed in a dark aura.

Both Boruto and Sarada turned to the older Uchiha and started to tremble.

"Otou-san!" she yelled uncomfortably, given the position she were with Boruto!

"Hey, uncle-Sasuke..." Boruto was sweating profusely

" **What. Are. You. Doing. With. My.** _ **Hime.**_ " he said in a threatening tone.

Boruto crawled back from the Uchiha. "Look, I can explain it was an accident, and there was this bitch, I mean this wasp that..."

"Did you just called my daughter 'bitch'?"

"What? No, I mean the wasp was..."

"Naruto." Sasuke voice came out in a dark way. "You better make another child..." He drew his katana "...because _I'm taking the life of this one today._ "

"DAD, DON'T!"

"SASUKEEE!"

"HELP!"

"DIE!"

* * *

From the entrance, Hinata and Sakura, who went shopping earlier, sweatdropped at the scene: Sasuke pursuing Boruto with a katana, the young Uzumaki running away, Sarada yelling at his father to stop and Naruto who was running behind Sasuke with a Rasengan on his right hand.

"Well… another day in Konoha, I guess" Sakura just deadpanned.

"Yeah… I guess..." Hinata murmured.

* * *

 **A/N** : Thank you for reading. A few words if I may:

To the one reviewer that told me he "can't understand the _spanish_ words in the story"… ehm, that's japanese, y'know. I like to use japanese words in order to add more feeling to the story. (Laughs)

Anyway, for those wondering, Taijiquan is a real martial art (I, myself, practice it, Yang Style). Legends says that it was created by a chinese monk, " _ **Zhang Shanfeng**_ ". Mount Wudang also is a real place and is home of many "Internal Martial Arts" school ( _Internal_ means that they focus especially on interior energy or _Qi_ , compared to the _External_ schools that focus primaly on physical strength like Shaolin).

Example of Internal Schools at Wudang are: _Taijiquan_ , _Xing-Yi_ and _Baguazhang_ , the latter which was Masashi Kishimoto's inspiration for the Hyuuga "Jyuukenpo" or "Gentle Fist technique". For those wondering, the " _Wudang cannon_ " technique doesn't really exist. I just invented it, taking inspiration from Taijiquan and Baguazhang movements and philosophy.

The final sequence of the cannon, the " _Taijitou Jiten_ ", is like throwing a DragonBall " _Kamehameha_ ", while having a short-range radius.

" _Tan t'ien", "Qi"_ and other chinese words are also taken from real life martial arts concepts.

And last, but not least: you may notice that Sasuke may act a little bit OOC. Well, while it is... true, I also like to hink that he's a father and it would be normal to be jealous and overprotective, especially when Sarada is his only child and the heir of the Uchiha clan... (Laughs again).

Please, read and review!

See you at the next chapter!

Until then

 _ **The Alternate Writer**_


	4. FILLER Chapter: Killer Bee's music video

**Eyes are the mirror of the soul**

 **FILLER: The music video**

 **A/N: This chapter is a filler, and it may be veeery OOC. Reason i'm writing this is due a joke it came in my mind after watching on YouTube the music video of "Or Nah" by The Weeknd.**

* * *

"Uh? Can you please say _that_ again?"

Umino Iruka groaned at Sarada " _*sigh*_ As I said before, this mission is not really a… mission. Apparently, the brother of the former Kumogakure Raikage..." he read again the piece of paper "...a certain ' _Killer Bee',_ who happen to be also a _singer,_ has asked the participation of Konoha shinobi for one of his… music video."

The Nanadaime Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto, chuckled. "Ne, looks like he grew tired of employing Cloud shinobi… or maybe it's the contrary!" he let out a good laugh. Team 2, formed by 16 years old Boruto, Sarada, Mizuki and led by Sarutobi Konohamaru, stood by, unsure of what was going to happen.

"Aaanyway..." Iruka cleared his throat and resumed. "You are to head to Kumogakure no sato at once. Mission rank and relative paygrade is of level D." The young ninjas just groaned. They would be earning only enough to have one or two meals at McLeaf's fast foods.

* * *

 **(Two days later, in the Hidden Cloud village)**

The team made their way to the meeting place.

Konohamaru once again studied the map. "Alright! Meeting was to be held in a place called ' _Shippuden studios_ ', in the SkyHigh district."

Sarada ears peaked at the district's name. " _SkyHigh_? If I remember, that is a very exclusive neighborhood, housing celebrities, politicians and many multimedia agency!"

Mitsuki and Boruto looked at her. "And how would you know that?" they asked in unison.

Blushing, she just looked away from her teammates. If they looked closely at her traveling bag, they would have surely noticed a piece of " _Kunoichi Minute!_ " gossip magazine protruding from the open zip line.

"WHAT THE F…!" the three yelled in horror.

They had just finished reading the music video script concept.

"You really expect us to do _this_?" Sarada screamed.

"Hey, brats, I payed for this, so Yes, you have to!" Killer Bee nonchalantly said.

"No way we are gonna do this, right guys…?" She turned to her teammates, only to find them blushing with a trickle of blood trailing down their nose.

"Oh, great!" She groaned.

* * *

 **(Two weeks later, at the Hyuuga compound)**

Naruto always enjoyed family and friend reunions, especially for dinner.

This evening, he had invited the whole _Konoha 11_ (minus Neji who died years ago during the Fourth Shinobi War) and their families over so they could spend a happy moment altogether.

Currently, they were on the table, happily eating and chatting, when the Hokage turned on the LCD in the dining room.

"Guess what, guys? Kumogakure famous rapper Killer Bee just sent me his latest music video, which featured Konoha shinobi in it!" he beamed.

They all started to wonder and discuss how it went, while Sarada and Boruto cold-sweated.

They never intended to show _that video_ to any Leaf member. It would be their downfall.

"Ah, yes, the one that has Sarada in it, if I recalled..." Sasuke neutrally said and her daughter cursed under her breath. She was already imagining what would happen after the broadcast ended.

"Yup! Here we go!" Naruto pushed the "Play" button and the video started rolling in…

(Music: The Weeknd - "Or Nah", remix)

 _On screen, with the soft intro music starting on the background, was Killer Bee, inside a room of a building atop Kumogakure peaks. He was looking outside the giant windows, and you could see in the distance clouds, mountain peaks and the village down below._

 _Screen shifts to a young woman with black hair, wearing a very short skirt and tight black top that contrasted with his creamy skin._

"Sarada, is that _you_?" Sakura inquired, looking at the images. "That outfit, isn't that a little bit… _revealing_?"

 _Then the camera focused on Bee's bearded mouth, while he started singing the intro part._

" _ **I got a lotta cash… I don't mind spending it**_ "

 _Then onscreen appeared Boruto, wearing a black business suit, who walked with confidence towards Sarada, and hugged her from behind, then turned her to look him in the eyes._

"Here we go..." in the dining room, the young Uzumaki started praying

" _ **Do you like the way I flick my tongue or nah?"**_

"Wait, what?" Sasuke shot up all of a sudden

 _Then, in the video, Boruto started kissing Sarada's neck while she lifted her chin and head._

"Oh, kami!" Hinata was blushing madly, putting a hand in front of her mouth, at watching her son and her friend doing what they were doing on TV.

" _ **You can ride my face until you're dripp'in cum"**_

"THE FUCK!?" Now both Sasuke and Naruto yelled in unison, while their friends started murmuring at each other.

 _The images now show Sarada, lying on an office table, with Boruto on top of her, while kissing her stomach._

" _ **Can you lick the tip then throat the dick or nah?"**_

"OH HELL NAW!" Sasuke stood up, activating his Sharingan in rage.

" _ **Can you let me stretch that pussy out or nah?**_

 _ **I'm not the type to call you back tomorrow**_

 _ **But the way you wrappin 'round me is a prob**_

 _ **Ain't nobody tryna save ya**_

 _ **Baby, get that paper"**_

Everyone in the room was blushing at the lyrics and at the video, while the two protagonist covered their head in shame. Onscreen, they were making out inside the Raikage office, while Killer Bee singed the main part and Mitsuki did the chorus.

"What… kind of shit is this?!" Sasuke was fuming angered.

" _ **Probably got a lot of other bitches owe you favors**_

 _ **Pussy so good, I had to save that shit for later**_

 _ **Took her to the kitchen, fucked her right there on the table**_

 _ **She repping Killer Bee to the death,**_

 _ **I'm tryna make these bitches sweat**_

 _ **I'm tryna keep that pussy wet,**_

 _ **I'm tryna fuck her and her friends"**_

Kiba was literally owling "Way to go, Boruto!"

"ENOUGH OF THIS!"

Sasuke destroyed the LCD with his Amaterasu, much to the surprise (and comfort) of everyone present.

"Sasuke! MY TV!" Naruto yelped.

"Naruto… How dare you send my _hime_ to do that sick shit!?" The Uchiha started walking towards him.

"C-calm down, teme, it was a mission and..."

"You've put to shame the Uchiha Clan on international TV, you _usuratonkaichi!_ "

The Hokage gulped visibly.

Meanwhile Sakura was patting Sarada's shoulder and tried to lighten the mood

"Guess you're no longer the innocent girl of one time, ne?"

Sarada just groaned at her mom.

Sasuke shifted his attention to Boruto.

"Don't think I've forget of you, you little _defiler of innocence!_ "

Boruto started running away with Sasuke behind him, Chidori glowing on one of his arms. The other just started betting on wheter Boruto would escape the Uchiha's wrath.

"Will he save his ass… _or nah_?" Tsunade made a pun on the song's title, while the others snickered.

"Ten ryu the brat gonna get his ass handed down."

"Twenty ryu that Sasuke will use a combination of 'Thousand years of death' technique along with his Chidori"

Many cringed at the last bet shouted by someone.

Sarada, in the mean time, was crying in shame in a corner.

And Hinata… well…

 _Hinata just fainted._

* * *

 **A/N** : I guess this is it, for the filler. Next chapter will be more serious. Just wrote this to take it ut of my mind.

 _Until then._

 _ **The Alternate Writer.**_


	5. Chapter 5: Roommates

**Eyes are the mirror of the soul**

 **Chapter 4: Roommates**

* * *

"Mom?" The raven haired, 17 years old girl was in the living room, talking with her pink haired mother.

"Yes dearie?"

Sarada shifted uncomfortably on her feet. She had just come back from a mission with her team and recalled the latest conversation she had with Boruto.

* * *

 **(Flashback)**

Team 2 was crossing the Konoha huge gates. Their last mission proved to be a boring patrol duty along the outer area of the village.

"Well guys, you're dismissed. I'll handle the report." Konohamaru quietly told them "I know it wasn't all of that excitement, so take the rest of the day off." With that, he left, while lighting a cigar. Truth to be told, the young Sarutobi picked up the habit of smoking from his late uncle, Asuma, when he was graduating as a Chuunin. The stress of the exam and the missions had taken quite a toll on him and, like many others, he had to _blow the steam_ in some way. He started with cigarettes, but didn't quite enjoyed them. Then he switched to cigars. He discovered them during a vacation in Sunagakure. The Wind country, since the end of the war, had started growing up tobacco plantations on the border with Kusagakure, as the climate of the area was rather ideal for that kind of cultivation.

He enjoyed a particular brand of cigar: _Kisu no kaze._ "The Sand Kiss".

They weren't very expensive, but had a taste he really enjoyed. Reminded him of chocolate mixed with coffee, with a background aroma of fresh soil.

So he left the team, with a trail of smoke behind him.

Meanwhile, the young ninjas where discussing on what to do next.

"Say, anyone in for some ramen-ttebasa?" Boruto proposed.

" _Gomen'nasai_ , but I have stuff to do. Maybe next time. Gotta go." Mitsuki excused himself and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving only the Uzumaki and Sarada standing at the gates.

"Aw.. well. I suppose you're not coming to so..." He started to trail off but was interrupted by the girl.

"Actually, I'm a bit hungry… so, shall we go?" She held her elbow from behind the back, while looking away, a slight blush on her face.

Boruto smiled happily.

" _Yosh! Ikuso!_ "

* * *

"Sarada-chan..." The boy looked rather uncomfortable. "...I want to propose you something..."

The said girl stopped slurping the ramen bowl (She secretly enjoyed the noodle dish) and gazed at him, whose cheeks were red and his sky-blue eyes were trailing sideways. "Mh? Spit it out..."

"Well… You see..." he slipped a piece of paper from his pouch and passed it to her. She scanned it and found it to be a…

"...a condo-housing flyer?" She looked at him with a puzzle expression.

Boruto's blush increased.

"Yeah… you see, I've always yearned for indipendence from my parents..." he scratched his head "...and turns out last week some company has inaugurated a series of residential condos targeted to Shinobi and Kunoichi."

He placed his elbows on the counter and joined his hands together

"Okaa-san and Otou-san are supporting me in this decision… well, my father used to live alone since he was a child, so it wasn't hard to convice him… and my mother didn't have nothing against my idea. In fact, she told me that if I was able to carry out shinobi mission, then i would be able to live by myself..."

He then fixated his eyes with hers. "I found this apartment, it's on the village main road and also close to the Hokage Palace…"

Sarada's gaze turned to the flyer in her hand.

"And what this has to do with me?" she asked.

"Well… I was looking for a roommate to share the expenses… I asked Mitsuki earlier but said he was already living by himself… So i was wondering…

... _would you like to be my roommate?_ "

The raven haired girl's mouth hung from her face, she didn't expect such kind of proposal. _Especially when someone like Boruto was asking to move in with him._

"I-i know it a little bit of sudden and out-of-the-blue, and I understand if you wouldn't like it..." Again, Boruto scratched the back of his golden head.

"I d-don't know Boruto... I mean, I am okay with it..." The young Uzumaki started to smile… "...but I have to ask my _parents_ first, you know?"

And his smile dropped.

Both knew that, for parents, she didn't mean her mother and her father.

A black haired man with both Sharingan and Rinnengan came to their mind.

She would rather do a B-Class mission rather than confronting her dad, Uchiha Sasuke, with this topic.

 **(Flashback ends)**

* * *

"I was wondering if _IcouldgolivewithBorutoasmyroommate._ " she rushed the last part of the sentence.

Sakura just sweatdropped. "Care to say that again? I din't hear that well..."

Sarada just breathed. "Boruto proposed me to go live together as roommate in one of these Shinobi condo's apartments."

…

To say she was surprised would be an understatement. The student of the Godaime Hokage stared bewildered at her daughter, who was standing uncomfortable on her feet, her hands behind the back.

"Well… I… I… don't think it would be a problem..." Sakura lifted a finger to her lips and assumed a thinking pose. "But you also have to ask _him_..."

Sarada's head dropped. "Do I really have to?"

"It's you father, dearie. It wouldn't be right to take such decision without consulting with him to..."

"I guess you're right..."

* * *

"WHAT?!" Sasuke spat the tea he was drinking.

Again, Sarada groaned internally.

"What the hell… Sarada, no." he stammered.

"Oh please, Dad, I know what you think, but you don't have to worry." She puffed. "If I can do ninja missions, I can also live by myself."

"Well, _hime_ , fact is that you aren't going to be living by yourself. You are going _to live with the mini-dobe_. I can't accept that!"

Sarada blushed at the implication of her father last words. "We will be just roommates, dad!" She deadpanned.

Sakura patted her husband's back. "C'mon, Sasuke-kun, I think we should let them. Besides Sarada-chan can take care of herself, and I don't think Boruto would try anything… _funny_ with her, right dearie?

Sarada's blush intensified, while Sasuke face palmed.

"That's the problem. I don't trust that kid. Especially when his father's sensei was Jiraya-sama… what was his nickname again? Pervy Sage? _Ero-Sennin_? Kami knows what he could have taught to that dobe and what Naruto, then, could have taught to Boruto!" he growled.

"Please, dad, he's my teammate. I trust him enough to put my life in his hands and he does the same with me. So why don't you start trusting him too?"

Sasuke got up and started waling around the living room like a caged wolf.

"Sarada, you are too young."

The young Uchiha crossed her arms. "Dad, I'm 17 and I'm a Chuunin ranked Kunoichi." She didn't say more and went to her room.

The former avenger just slouched on the couch and touched is forehead with his finger, while her wife sat beside him.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun..." she nuzzled her face on his shoulder. "I know that it's not Boruto the problem for you..."

He sighed. "She's already 17… Time sure flies." They both looked at the pictures hanging on the wall. One of them had a baby Sarada on Sasuke arms. The other had the whole family framed, it was her first day at the Academy.

Sadness filled Sasuke voice. "My _hime_ … It was like yesterday that I was holding her in my arms while she slept or I was pushing her cart through the Park." He longed at the pictures. "It went fast. It's unfair, Sakura..." he secretly held his tears, as he didn't want his wife to see him crying. He was too prideful for that. "My only daughter…. The light of my life… She's the precious thing I have..."

She hugged him, as she felt the same way as him. "But you also know that we have to learn and accept..." she sighed "...that one day _we'll have to let her go._ "

The Uchiha lowered his head and stayed quiet for minutes.

"I'll go talk to her." Then he got up.

* * *

He knocked on the door. "Sarada?"

"What do you want?!" She yelled from behind the closed door, which he opened.

She was on her bed, hugging her knees, not looking at him. He went to sit besides her.

"...Call me everyday." he neutrally said.

Sarada didn't understood immediately. "What?"

He sighed. "I told you: you must call me everyday and tell me how are you doing." he was too prideful to openly state what he really meant.

She again tried to understand but then…

She realized.

Her father was letting her go live by herself.

Tears formed on her eyes as she threw herself at him and hugged her dad.

" _A-arigatou, Otou-san!_ " she squealed.

He didn't hug her back istantly, but eventually did.

"Be sure to kick his ass if he tries something."

She let a light laugh "Sure dad. That _baka_ will feel my Sharingan, _shannarooo!_ "

He chuckled at her verbal tick.

"You are my _hime_. Remeber that, Sarada _-chan_."

They hugged each other.

* * *

Sakura stood by the door frame. She watched everything with a smile.

Silently smiling, she made her way downstairs.

" _Thank you, Sasuke-kun._ "

* * *

 **A/N:** And this is done. Next will be Sarada and Boruto moving in and adjusting to the new life. Again, I apologize if it's short, but I try to compensate by publishing at least every 12 hours, instead of making one, mega chapter every wee or month. Thank you for the reviews, I read them all and i'm very happy that all of you like this story.

Until then.

 _ **The Alternate Writer**_


	6. Chapter 6: Moving out

**Eyes are the mirror of the soul**

 **Chapter 5: Moving out**

* * *

 _ **Knock knock**_

Someone knocked at the door. Uchiha Sasuke got up from the couch and went to open it. He twisted the doorknob and swung it open, without even asking who was at the door.

First thing his eyes registered were a bunch of golden hair. Then a whiskered face with two blue eyes on 'em.

 _Uzumaki Boruto was standing in front of him._

He was sporting an electric blue jacket that went just down his belt. Underneath, he was wearing a plain white t-shirt. His neck was adorned with a Leaf symbol necklace, its tip pointing downwards. Finally, he was wearing a pair of dark grey pants, that stopped just before his ankles and above the standard blue shinobi footwear.

"State your business, Uzumaki." The Uchiha spoke with a very cold tone. He knew why the "punk" was there, but he wanted to hear it from him.

"Uchiha-san. Good morning." Boruto tried to play it cool.

"I asked you to tell me why you're here."

"Well, wouldn't it be better if we speak inside?"

"No."

Sasuke eyes were stone cold and fixated on the boy in front of him. The young Uzumaki sighed.

"I'm here to help your daughter moving out her stuff."

Sasuke eye twitched then grudgingly let him inside.

Boruto went in and closed the door behind him. He took off his sandals then moved further, landing in the living room.

"Ah Boruto-kun, nice to see you!" A voice called the said boy. He turned towards the kitchen and saw a pink haired woman with a dust cleaner in her hand.

"Sakura obaa-chan, nice to see you too!" He grinned "Is Sarada here?"

"Yes Boruto-kun, she's upstairs, in her room packing her stuff."

"Arigatou. I'm here to help her. I'll go check on her right now." and with that he went up.

Sakura watched the young boy then went to her husband and lightly hit him in the shoulder with the stick in her hand.

"Sasuke-kun, that wasn't very polite of you!" she hissed.

"Hn." was his only answer, then went in the kitchen to fix himself something cold to drink.

It was summer, and temperature wasn't very forgiving. He picked up a remote controller then pushed a button. Immediately, the air-con produced a hissing sound and started working, altough it would need some minutes to cool down the area and remove the excessive humidity that lingered in the air.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, why don't you bring some cold drinks to Sarada and Boruto? It's too damn hot and probably she has already removed the electric fan in her room." Sakura called him from the living room.

He didn't say nothing and just prepared some juice with ice cubes in them.

* * *

"Sarada-chan?" Boruto knocked at her open door. The girl was closing a box and turned to him. She smiled and went to hug him.

"Boruto-kun, thanks for coming."

He blushed slightly "So, what can I do for you?"

She pointed the already closed boxes. "Well… I just finished the last packaging, so the only thing left to do is to move them out."

He grinned. "Leave it to the professionals!" he flashed his thumb and assumed a cool-guy pose, while she just groaned and sat on her soon-to-be former bed, while watching him.

"Bunshin no jutsu!" A poof and some smoke were produced and then three Boruto clones were standing there, assuming the same pose of their "boss".

"Bunshin? I thought that you would use your father's trademark 'Kage' version of the clone technique..." she pondered out loud.

"Yeah, I know, but i don't feel like using that much chakra for a simple task like this." He scratched his head. "By the way, it's getting too hot in here, isn't it?"

"I know. I already removed the fan. The only thing I could do was to open the window and dress lightly."

Indeed, Sarada was wearing just a plain white t-shirt and a pair of green shorts that stopped mid-tigh.

The room was hot enough to make them sweat.

"Sheesh, really damn hot, dattebasa!" He proceeded, along with his clones, to discard his jacket. He didn't want to open it, so he just tugged it from above, like he was removing a t-shirt. Only to accidentally remove his actual t-shirt too, showing off his sweat covered body.

Sarada blushed at the sight and let out a light shriek "Boruto-kun!"

* * *

Sasuke was walking towards her daughter room with a tray filled with drinks in his hands when he heard a small cry.

"Boruto-kun!"

His curiosity sparked up and increased the pace of his steps.

" _Boruto, you better not..._ " he was in the middle of his thoughts and made his way on the doorstep.

And then he saw it.

Four Borutos.

Naked on the upper body.

Her daughter on the bed, blushing.

Both sweating.

"..."

"Dad?"

"Uchiha-san?"

Sasuke hands dropped the tray on the ground.

Then his right hand glowed with electricity and chakra.

 **"RAIKIRI!"**

* * *

Minutes later, both Sarada and Boruto were downstairs in the living room, with Sakura and Sasuke, who was sporting a rather large bump on his head.

"You idiot, how could you even try such thing with Boruto? Using the Raikiri on an harmless boy without a reason! Not even the Chidori! Good grief!" She scolded her husband very hard, while both teens sweatdropped.

Sakura managed to block the older Uchiha when she saw a scared Boruto running for his life in the garden after jumping out of the window in Sarada's room, with Sasuke chasing him down, Raikiri on his hand.

"Hn."

Meanwhile, some clones were moving out the boxes from Sarada's bedroom and proceeded to transport them all the way to the new flat Boruto and her would be moving in.

The boy was pouting, slightly offended by her friend's father attempt on his life for a rather awkward misunderstanding. Well, now that he was thinking of it, the scenario would have been very… compromising.

Still, he was angry to Sasuke and wanted to yell at him. But it wouldn't be very polite, especially in front of his wife and daughter.

"Sakura obaa-chan, don't worry, it was an… accident, and surely Uchiha-san didn't want to do it on purpose… right?" He shot a smirk at the man in front of him. Boruto would have his revenge in some way.

"Hn."

Sarada sighed again then got up. "Well, I better get going. I want to assist the clones with the stuff." she and Boruto went at the door, followed by her parents.

Sakura just hugged her daughter. "Take care, mh?" she softly said.

" _Hai, okaa-san!_ "

Then the young Uchiha went to hug her father. Sure, she was still mad at him for what happened before, but deep down her heart she loved him.

Sasuke didn't say nothing and just stood there, hugging back her daughter.

Then shot a menacing glance at Boruto.

"Be careful." His words sounded like 'Try anything stupid and I will kill you and the whole Hyuuga clan.'

Boruto was nearly at the point of punching the Uchiha but, then, smirked.

"Don't worry, Uchiha-san" he said and then moved his arm to Sarada's far shoulder, closing her in a sort of side-hug, making her blush. "We'll be having… _fun._ "

Boruto and Sasuke exchanged venomous look, the latter one with tha Sharingan swirling, on the verge of impaling the boy with his Kusanagi sword. _How dare he make such provocation in front of him!_

The air was thick with tension so the girls dragged away the two: Sarada grabbed Boruto's arms and yanked him away while saying goodbye and Sakura pushed Sasuke inside, closing the door behind her.

"What the actual fuck, Sasuke-kun? I'm starting to think that Madara somehow managed to take possession of your body! You're incredible!" She yelled at him.

"That brat was provoking me, Sakura!" he yelled back.

"Oh please, you're just angry because you won't be seeing Sarada much from now on!"

He let out a scream, then dropped on the couch, a defeated look on his face.

Sakura just watched him with a compassionate expression, then sat beside him.

"Sasuke-kun, we already talked about this, right?"

"..."

She sighed.

"Sakura, I don't trust him." he coldy said.

"Oh please, not again..."

"If he tries anything with my _hime_ , i'll chop off his wiener then stuff it in his mouth, then i'll cut Naruto's one too and stick it in his butt for creating that bastard of his son!" he screamed.

* * *

Meanwhile Naruto sneezed, then felt a chill moving down his spine.

"Bless you" Shikamaru muttered from his desk, deep in his work.

"Thanks..."

* * *

Normally, she would have already hit him in the head for such things. But Sakura knew better that it was necessary letting his husband steam off.

So she just let out a sigh and walked away, into the kitchen.

"Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes." Was the only thing Sakura muttered at him, before disappearing.

He didn't say nothing. The house was now quiet.

Sasuke just stared at the picture of him and Sarada, hanging in the wall, while sitting alone in the couch, the living room being gradually shrouded in the darkness of the evening.

* * *

Boruto and Sarada were inside the apartment. It was a rather simple one: a big space that was divided in two parts: the living room and the kitchen with the dining area. On the left, there were three doors: two doors led to two bedrooms, while one led to the bathroom.

The right side of the main area was a big large window, leading into the covered balcony, spacious enough to hold a table with chairs and some plants.

"Still impressed that the rent for this amazing place is affordable!" Boruto beamed, while Sarada went to the kitchen area, analyzing every detail. They had a fridge, an oven, a microwave and a stove.

"Ne, looks like i will enjoy Sarada-chan's cooking form now on, eh!" Boruto jokingly said.

She just smiled and went to the fridge, looking for ingredients.

"Well, now that we moved everything in, shall we eat something?"

She started preparing something to eat, while Boruto went outside in the balcony and admired the sun disappearing in the orange sky.

Sarada went beside him.

"Looks like it's the sunset of our past lives..." he whispered.

"And the dawn of our future." she finished his sentence.

* * *

 **A/N** : Sorry for the delay, but I was rather busy with the school. Chapter's short and maybe a little bit rushed, but i wanted to "remove" this one from my head and give you something. Ah, by the way, is someone willing to make an image cover for this story, by the way? If someone is interested, please let me know!

See you next time!

Until then

 _ **The Alternate Writer**_


	7. Adapting and big changes

**Eyes are the mirror of the soul**

 **Chapter 7: Adapting and big changes**

* * *

 _ **Author Note:**_ Hi everybody. I know, it's been a month since the last update, but please bear with me: I've found two jobs for this summer (and, hopefully, beyond), one at the local hospital (not as part of the medical staff but as a logistic operator) and one at the local UPS Depot (again, logistics and stuff related), so I've been really, really busy. Anyway, here's another chpater and, again, sorry for being so late.

* * *

Sarada was coming back home from her latest "field day" at the local library, where she spent a good part (almost all) of the afternoon researching a way to mix her lightning and fire elemental affinities with the Taijido she copied from Boruto's training session months ago.

She wouldn't admit it but, insider herself, she was upset that her roomate was able to nearly master a complex taijutsu system in a short amount of time.

You see, there was always a little bit of… competition between them. Having the blond Uzumaki heir surpass the raven haired Uchiha was something that loathed her, because she feared the dreadful judgement of her stoic father.

"I'm going to show you that wahtever you can do, I can do it better!" she murmured by herself, walking down the large main street of the village.

* * *

Five minutes later, the girl arrived at her… no, _their_ home. She opened the main door of the condo and was going to take the stairs when she glanced over their mailbox.

White envelopes catched her onyx eyes. She inserted the small key, opening the lock and grabbed the pieces of paper and reading the wrintings of them…

They contained bills.

"Uhmm… ENC, so it must be the Electric National Company invoice… then IRES ltd., so this one's for gas and heating… Ah, the other one is the monthly rent bill..." she looked at the numbers…

"Well, electricity's total is 400 Ryu, the gas amounts at 980 Ryu and the rent is 1'500 Ryu…" she then recalled the amount of money she kept in her bank account, at the Tokimura Credit Institute.

"I've left around… uhmm… 6'000 Ryu of the monthly shinobi 14'000 Ryu salary. I think we can breathe at the moment..."

She folded the letters and went up to their apartment, ringing the bell.

"Who's there?"

"Baka."

The door opened, with Boruto standing at the entrance with a tea cup in his hand.

"Wassup, Sarada?"

"...Bills are here..."

She handed him the envelopes and he did the same thing as she did just minutes ago.

"Yup, we can definetly survive this month..." he started "...but I have to tell you something, Sarada-chan."

She looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Hm? What is it?"

* * *

They were sitting in the kitchen with hot drinks in front of them.

"I talked with my father this afternoon." He begun. "There are some… issues."

She took a sip of her tea, waiting for him to continue. He resumed talking.

"Apparently, there is a shortage of missions due to the lasting peace and the flowing economy..." He paused and looked at her eyes "...so, he decided, in accordance with the council, to apply Chapter Nine of the Village Military and Security code."

She stopped sipping the drink, staring at him with shocked eyes.

"Chapter Nine? This means..."

"Yes, Sarada..." he cut her off. "My father's placing every shinobi of age under 20 in 'temporary inactive duty'. He's literally suspending nearly all genin and chuunin team from service, placing them on 'Reserve' status. Which means that we are no longer taking mission until new orders and so..."

"...we are not getting paid." she finished his sentence. "B-but why?"

"Dad is doing this in order to not damage the economy and the village finances . Paying shinobi for doing nothing would be very hazardous of the treasoury. And a waste of money."

There was a long silence in the kitchen.

"What should we do? For this month we are covered, and the next too, but we will need to find a way to earn money or we will be forced to leave this house..."

She placed her elbows on the table, resting her forehead on the conjoined hands in front of her, deep in her toughts…

"...Say, Boruto...what about..."

She looked straight in his eyes

"... _finding civilian jobs?_ "

* * *

"You know, now that I think, we were raised as Ninjas..." he said "...we went to the Shinobi Academy, while the civilians kid went to Elementary, High School and College… I mean, the civilians at our age are still in school..."

She knew what he was trying to say. In the civilian "society", to find a good job, you have to have a degree or a diploma. The higher the degree, the better were the chance to find a good job.

As she recalled, Shinobi Academy graduation was legally equiparated to finishing the third year of High School, which in the Fire Nation school system gave the right to claim a "Professional Qualification Degree", which was not a Diploma, but something near that. The PQD varied from school to school, based on its main subject (Economy, Mechanics, Science etc.).

At the moment, they could only look for low-paid jobs, as they didn't have at least a Diploma.

"Tomorrow we start searching for jobs. I'll try and see if any shop needs a hand… What about you, Boruto?"

"Same here, I'll have a look at the job offers at the Konoha Employment Agency"

They had a determined look on their face.  
" _Let's do this._ "

* * *

A/N: Short chapter that I needed to write in order to "launch" the first, real Arc of this story.

Again, I'm sorry if the updates will be slow, but as I said before, I'm busy with work.

 **Until then.**

 _ **The Alternate Writer**_


End file.
